Hinges and closures embodying such hinges



Oct. 28, 1969 R. 5. GRANT 3,474,569

HINGE-S AND CLOSURES EMBODYING SUCH H INGES Filed Nov. 24, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 28, 1969 R. 5. GRANT 3,474,569

HINGES ANlj GLOSURE'S EMBODYING SUCH HINGES Filed Nov. 24, 196"- 2 Sheets-$heet 2 United States Patent 3,474,569 HINGES AND CLOSURES EMBODYING SUCH HINGES Rixwill S. Grant, Durban, Republic of South Africa, as-

signor to Wonder Door Holdings (Proprietary) Limited, Natal, Republic of South Africa Filed Nov. 24, 1967, Ser. No. 685,370 Int. Cl. Ed /52 U.S. Cl. 49-192 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a novel hinge and to closures embodying such hinges.

Closures are known whose hanging can be changed from one side to another but, as far as the applicant is aware, such closures require two hinges on each side. Such an arrangement is described in applicants co-pending Republic of South Africa patent applications Nos. 67/3,134 and 67/5,200.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a hinge, only four of which are required for a closure 1 which can be pivoted at any one of its four sides. Thus, a simple closure can be provided which is easily changed to be a right-hand opening, a left-hand opening, a topopening or a bottom-opening closure.

The invention finds particular utility for cupboard doors, station-wagon tail-gates and other closures where such changeability is a definite advantage.

A hinge according to the invention includes a first leaf attachable to a frame, and a second leaf engageable with a closure member, the leaves being joined through a rightangled pintle, the second leaf having a formation engageable with a complemental formation on the closure member and releasably lockable therewith.

It will be appreciated that the right-angled pintle permits the second leaf to pivot in either of two directions at right-angles to one another.

In use, one such hinge is located at each corner of the frame of a closure and the closure member has formations complemental to the formations on the second leaves, at a distance from the corners to correspond with the location of the formations on the second leaves. It will be appreciated that the leaves of each hinge need not be located exactly in each corner but may be spaced away from each corner depending on the length of the pintles. The closure member is located in position with all the formations interengaging and locking means, preferably comprising spring-loaded pins, as described hereunder, are all engaged in their locking positions. Means are provided to free any two locking means at a time, whereby the closure will be able to pivot on the side opposite the two unlocked means.

The interengaging formations are preferably tapered for a snug fit, the formation on the leaf being substantially frusto-conical and having an orifice for receiving a spring-loaded pin which passes through the complemental formation on the closure member. The pins are connected 3,474,569 Patented Oct. 28, 1969 by means of Bowden cables to an actuating device which comprises, in a preferred form of the invention, a fixed plate, to which the outer sheaths of the cables are connected and a movable frame or plate to which the inner cables are attached. The movable frame or plate may be moved in any one of four directions at right angles to each other by means of a suitable cam or equivalent mechanism, so that any two pins may be withdrawn according to the direction of movement of the movable frame. A neutral position, in which all the pins are locked in position is also provided so that the closure is very securely locked.

It should be understood, however, that the system of a fixed plate and a movable frame is not the only mechanism which can be used for effecting withdrawal of the pins since many other mechanical devices could equally well be used.

The invention will be readily understood from the following description of an embodiment of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a hinge according to the invention shown in position on a frame,

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the hinge showing, in addition, a portion of the locking mechanism associated with the closure member,

FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective view of a corner of the closure illustrating the interengaging formations, and

FIGURE 4 is a schematic plan view of the actuating device.

Referring to the drawings, a first leaf 10 it attached to a frame 12, and a right-angled pintle 14, comprising two pins 16, 18 joined by a connecting element 20, leads to a second leaf 22. This second leaf is able to pivot in either of two directions, as shown by the arrows 24, 26. The second leaf 22 carries a frustoconical element 28 which engages in a complemental formation 30 in the closure member 32.

A pin 34 passes through the complemental formation 30 to engage in an orifice 36 in the element 28. This pin 45 is spring-loaded into its engaging position by means of spring 38 and the inner cable 40 of a Bowden cable 42 is attached to the tail of the pin 34, the outer sheath 43 of the Bowden cable being anchored to the box 44. The other end of the cable 40 is attached to a frame 46 which is movable in relation to a fixed frame 48, the other end of the outer sheath 43 of the Bowden cable being attached to the latter frame 48.

A cam 50, rotatable on a fixed plate 49 and extending into the movable frame 46 has a neutral position in which it does not abut any of the sides of the frame 46, but if rotated it will abut a side of the frame, thus moving that side and thereby causing a pulling action on the opposite two inner cables 40 with the result that the corresponding two pins are withdrawn from their orifices 36 against the spring action, and the closure will be pivotable on the opposite side.

Compression springs 52 are provided between the corners of the movable and fixed frames so that the movable frame is restrained to move parallel to the fixed frame.

It will be appreciated that many other actuating arrangements are possible.

The plate 48 and frame 46 may be located on one of the sides of the closure, the cables travelling in the sides so that they are not visible.

I claim:

1. A closure assembly including a closure member and a frame, a hinge at each corner of the frame, each hinge including a leaf attached to the frame and a second leaf joined to the attached leaf through a right-angled pintle,

the second leaf having a frustoconical formation located thereon engageable with a complemental formation on the closure member, spring-loaded pins extending through the complemental formations into orifices in the frustoconical formations, and means to withdraw, against the action of the springs, any two pins at a time.

2. A closure assembly including a closure member and a frame, a hinge at each comer of the frame, each hinge including a leaf attached to the frame and a second leaf joined to the attached leaf through a right-angled pintle, the second leaf having a frustoconical formation located thereon engageable with a complemental formation on the closure member, spring-loaded pins extending through the complemental formations into orifices in the frustoconical formations, the tails of the pins being connected to a movable element, and means to move the movable element a sufiicient distance in any one of four directions mutually at right-angles, to withdraw the two pins from the formations remote from the direction of travel of the movable element.

3. A hinge for a closure located in a closure frame, the hinge comprising:

(a) a first leaf connected to the closure frame,

(b) a second leaf,

(c) a right-angled pintle comprising first and second pins connected at right angles to each other, the first leaf beingconnected to the first pin and swingable relative to the axis of the second pin and the second leaf being connected to the secod pin and being pivotable about the axis of the second pin so that the second leaf can move relative to the first leaf about the axes of the two pins, and

(d) a formation on the second leaf engaging a complemental formation on the closure and being releasably locked thereto.

4. A hinge as claimed in claim 3 wherein there is provided an orifice in the formation, which orifie registers with an orifice in the complemental formation, the orifices receiving a locking pin.

5. A closure assembly comprising:

(a) a rectangular flame,

(b) a rectangular closure member in the frame,

(c) a fixed hinge leaf attached to the frame near each corner thereof,

(d) a movable hinge leaf located adjacent the closure member near each corner thereof and lying at right angles to the fixed hinge leaf near to that corner,

(e) a right-angled pintle at each corner, each rightangled pintle comprising a first pin connected to the fixed hinge leaf, and a second pin connected at right angles to the first pin to swing about the axis of the first pin, and having its axis, aligned with the axis of the first pin of the right-angled pintle member at an adjacent corner of the frame, the movable hinge leaf being connected to the second pin to pivot about the axis of the second pin, and

(f) releasable coupling means respectively on each movable hinge leaf and on the adjacent portion of the closure member, the arrangement being such that when two adjacent coupling means are released the closure member can swing about the aligned axes of the other two right-angled pintle members.

6. A closure assembly as claimed in claim 5 further comprising locking means respectively locking the coupling means together and release means connected to the locking means and actuatable to release the locking means of two adjacent coupling means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 896,966 8/ 1908 Bailey 49-192 2,790,992 5/1957 Campbell 16-147 X 2,806,735 9/1957 Smith -Q 16-147 X 3,008,177 11/ 1961 Wooten 16-147 3,387,406 6/1968 Coker et a] 49-192 3,392,422 7/ 1968 La Pan 16-147 FOREIGN PATENTS 413,871 7/1934 Great Britain. 537,775 7/ 1941 Great Britain. 541,969 1/ 1932 Germany.

40 DENNIS L. TAYLOR, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 16-147 

